maybe not enough people care to see your dog eating food? Count me in.
26
Wait--this is a serious pursuit?! Yes, Max is adorable (I had a Corgi named Missy when I was a kid; unfortunately she was subject to epileptic seizures), and the food looks really yummy (even to a vegetarian!), but do people really do all that stuff these days to "make it big" on Instagram, etc.? Can't people who love dogs and/or Asian food just follow for fun, rather than being marketed to? I HATE being marketed to! But I wish Max and his personal chefs all the best. Maybe I'm just sliding into crotchety geezer-hood.
44
Heh, my spouse has gotten our dogs up to about 7K followers. She doesn't do any other social media at all but loves to manage the 'gram account. The secret seems to be to the hashtags (which you mention), posting frequently, and doing a lot of liking, friending, and commenting.
21
“Cute” is nice, but nice isn’t enough. Usually what drives views involves humor, snark, a “catch.” Though Ipay attention to extremely little online, the few guilty pleasures I indulge in have an ‘attitude’ and an off-beat humor that makes them memorable. A cute dog that enjoys food = pretty much every dog in existence.
20
too funny. i went through the same struggle with my own corgi, Michi.
Follower her at IG@michi_corgi
2
If you really just want to be an "influencer" (which you seem to think is measurable in numbers), then spare poor Max and take pictures of yourself and your partner eating HIS food.
I don't think that influence is measurable in numbers, whether on Instagram or in life.
Your dog is very cute but your photos are not that interesting and if you read the captions, it comes down to what so many said in their comments: dogs shouldn't be eating people food.
If sounds like you really want to be a foodie. That's a tough assignment but if that's your real interest, be true to yourself. People can tell when things are too forced.
Be yourself. In the end, it is all you ever can be and people will always know when you're not. Even on Instagram.
21
I really don't see the point of you wasting your life-time on this. I wondered why you were trying; probably to make money?? I don't believe people make friends through instagram. The whole endeavor sounds cliché-ly "Orwellian" for lack of a better word.
I recommend spending real time with your dog and partner, cooking or whatever instead of becoming a slave to some crazy and meaningless web fad.
19
Using Max as ticket to your early retirement? Wow, be a man and get a life bro. Why not share those delicious food with the homeless and less fortunate. I’d guarantee you’d be instant celebrity in their hearts.
15
I thought you're pretty successful! I've been posting on ig for 138 times over the course of almost a year, only gained 137 followers so far. lol...
1
Well, you took the exact same picture of your dog over and over again. You probably got as much engagement as your effort warranted.
14
Get a cat. You'll have better luck!
7
Lose the food, keep the dog.
8
Why are you doing this to your lovely dog?
11
Please don't feature squid ink pasta in your articles or promotions anymore. The price of that ingredient has been rising fast enough lately, let's not add fuel to that fire.
3
I think the main reason for failure is that the dishes you made for your Corgi wouldn't be advised by any veterinarian I've heard of. Fats and certain spices can be very bad for dogs. So I think it's the quality of the advice that did you in.
16
Our American obsession with dogs is driving people to a new level of insanity. Just enjoy your time with your pet and unglue yourself from your phone and unrelenting need for validation.
8
When NYT profiled "Bread Face Blog" I felt compelled to follow her (and still do). What I suggest is that you pick up on this trend and roll your face in each dish that you make. You could have Max lick you clean, but several commenters noted that mussels, pasta, and turkey aren't healthy for dogs. So leave Max out of this. Just smash your nose into those lamb chops and dutch oven-shaped sourdoughs, capture it on film, and I look forward to seeing your MoMA exhibition in 2020.
9
I guess on the Internet they really do know you're a dog.
7
Those of us who spend for top quality pet food for our furry loved ones, do not feed them anything from our table.
3
@Heidi Hmmm...I’d replace “Those of us” with “Some of us,” if I were you.
3
The dog just wrote me, and he wants a better writer for your account. He thought your post insulting--dogs don't speak in baby language. He also wants 70% of the profits.
42
Well, for one thing, the captions need to be witty. Having the dog call people "hoomans" just doesn't cut it.
41
@Clumping along with PF Agreed. In most Internet slang, such as on 4Chan and Reddit, titles of posts tend to refer to dogs as "doggos" "puppers" "good boy" "good girl."
So "Hoomans" while silly, is way too academic. We need a better word for what dogs would use for us.
3
Pretty simple…
Your dog licking your pretentious food is, umm… what's the word…
Disgusting.
But not more so than the blatant attempt to manufacture "cutesy and loveable."
That usually falls flat.
25
You wanted to be an "influencer" on a photo-sharing social media site... and you didn't even bother to get a DSLR camera?
Take a step back and think about that one for a minute.
15
Cute dog, and I'd come over for dinner, but why would you want to waste your time with this influencer stuff?
The answer is usually "money," but when I see celebrities hawking junk, especially with their kids, it's just sad.
7
Thanks for sharing your experience. I've considered the same experiment and your article helped me be much more informed.
1
Your dog is adorable! And the food looks yummy too. Entertaining and informative article. Pick the dog, drop the food in your instagram account.
4
I hope you get more followers after this article-Max is adorable!
3
Question for the author: did you see a significant spike in followers after this published? I’d love to see a follow-up article on the increase/substainability on the account after getting the boost.
15
He's a good-looking dog!
6
Go get ‘em Brian. Best article yet. Really enjoyed it. First time for me to read a NYTimes article and laugh out loud. I look forward to reading about your real-time tech verification experiments in the future. Thank you. Aloha!
3
I could see this working if you were making high end, pretty dog food for your dog. But you’re making human food for your dog, which frankly is going to gross people out.
39
Max is awesome. Social media is bunkum and proves PT Barnum right. 2 bucks a follower? Ironically hysterical.
3
So many mean-spirited comments, but i guess nothing less is expected on the internet these days. I think your feed is super cute, max is great, let him lick the food all he wants and enjoy life. Max may never become an influencer but I followed!
5
Check out CookingWithDog or Jun's Kitchen in YouTube. They're more of cooking shows rather than focusing on the pets, but the "animals + food" formula does work.
2
Love my dog and many others, and Max is a good looker, but the shot of him licking the lamb chop made me cringe. Maybe that's a hint.
18
Sorry, but my family owned a corgi back in the day, and my experience was that they may look cute, but they can also be mean little so and so's. The ones I've met since are no different. Cute yes, cuddly no! And don't let them lick your food!
2
@Bill Hayward wow I made this account just to say how horribly wrong you are. I type this while my corgi is literally cuddling with me under a blanket. He is absolutely not mean. Wow just needed to set the record straight corgis are the best.
15
@Madison amen to that. My three Corgi children are sweeter and kinder than most of the human kids I know!
3
I disagree with Maria. Max is very cute. He just doesn't have that "it factor" working for him. The camera doesn't "love" him, it only likes him. He also seems to lick at food in a sideways manner which is all fine and well, but people just don't want to see that. Nobody really wants to see a Corgi french kissing a chunk of lamb. I would try inventing a different personality for Max. He might do well to have evil intent at all times. I could see Max playing that character. Or maybe be really greedy and self absorbed. Or make it clear that he is a Trust Fund Puppy. People hate Trust fund animals, but they keep coming back to them because they want to know what they do with their money. Don't give up just yet, Brian. You've put Max on this roller coaster ride to Hades and he's buckled in with his aviator goggles fixed. See it through, Mate. Good luck.
25
And here, silly me, thought the invention of the Internet was the best thing for the advancement of human knowledge ever.
28
Honestly? Your photos look like like something my family or friends would post. Your dog is cute and the food looks yummy but there’s no “hook.” They’re unremarkable. Just, photos of your dog with some food that you made.
Check out MayaPolarBear on youTube.
37
You might have better luck starting an Instagram account about the worms and other parasites that can be transmitted from dogs licking human food and/or human faces - even the nytimes has covered this topic: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/22/us/should-you-let-your-dog-lick-your-face.html.
Since you weren't very good at entertaining, maybe try informing about reality instead.
Also, your photography skills need improvement. There should be plenty of good stock images of parasite infestations though.
Good luck.
15
@SL Thank you so much for mentioning this. Dogs are cute and all but they're not worth the diseases and parasites they can give you. And it downright disgusts me when people let dogs or any other animals lick their face or food. If a human being did that, wouldn't that be gross? So why the double standard?
Oh and what a great idea, an Instagram account that actually reveals the truth. I'd be surprised if it caught on though since people get all sensitive when you tell them their dog is dirty. But..but...but he's my friend! He's always been there for me! My precious doggo!
Well, reality check. Your dog may save you from drowning but he could also infect you with a flesh-eating bacteria.
4
@N that’s sad you have this view. We have an immune system for a reason, and those bugs people sometimes get are rare. The joy that people get from dogs through a life time far surpasses any scare of a bug.
14
Nothing puts me off more than fake followers. it is dishonest. The companies that sold you on that nonsense are laughing all the way to the bank.
19
Simply supply and demand.
1
The world has gone insane.
62
The dedicated Instagram animal community is if anything hypersensitive towards any possible abuse or exploitation. That would include endangering the health of a dog by feeding him unhealthy and inappropriate human foods in an attempt to be cute. Overly clever hashtags only make it worse. Max is not the problem. He's a sweet doggo who deserves better than being exploited by his human as a marketing prop!
41
@Habit Albi Yes, pure sweet doggo. How dare his "hooman" feed him home-cooked meals like a king. And you can only presume he cleans up his poop and walks him too. How does this dog deserve better? There are plenty of people who don't even get this sort of treatment. So if he wants to post pictures about his dumb dog and make some money off it too, what does it matter? The dog's not complaining so why are you?
13
Why would you have an entire article about Instagram photos and not include a single photo? I wanna see Max & the avocado pillow.
9
All roads lead to narcissism.
42
this was hilarious. love it.
13
Here's a thought. There are two breeds of Welsh Corgi: the Cardigan Welsh Corgi; and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Each breed of Welsh Corgi is a working breed, was bred to herd cattle by nipping at their heels. The Corgi has to be determined, hornery, agile, and tough enough to shake off a back kick in the muzzle from an irritated heifer.
A Corgi is not your personal accessory. A Corgi is not there to to look cute on Instagram. A Corgi is not there to grow fat and develop type two diabetes mellitus and other ailments because of your obsession with food and celebrity status on Instagram.
Let Max live the life he is meant to.
65
Max is adorable.
5
I wonder if using the word "fat" in the title, in reference to a dog that loves to eat, is a turn-off for readers who also love to eat and have achieved the same result as Max by doing so. To almost everyone, "fat" sounds like an insult. There are dozens of euphemisms that are used when it is helpful to mention another person's adiposity.
"You know the new guy in IT? ... No, not the tennis geek...the one who wears Hawaiian shirts, but not the one from Hawaii. I mean the heavy-set guy." It's sort of okay to say that a co-worker, but asking someone if they know the "fat guy in IT" is probably a firing offense.
Munchies Max might work. Or Gordie Gourmet. Epicurean Ephraim?
15
I personally love your efforts and Max is a real cutie! Additionally you now have over 3400 followers of wich I am proud to be one.
6
This is sad.
61
Max doesn't care about clicks, likes, retweets, followers, or insta-celebrity. Max just wants to sit around and eat pasta. If you want to achieve true happiness, be more like Max.
120
I agree with the pro feedback...seeing Max' tongue in the food was repulsive...the mix of two genres is wrong
47
Hi Brian. I'm an IG Mom to a dog (@mosestherescuedog, if you're so inclined to take a gander!) as well as do social media for my career, so have some thoughts on what's helped us be successful:
- Think outside your own content. To your point, there is a HUGE community of dogs on Instagram (and thereby, dog parents.) Find other ones you like. Follow them. Engage with them. Building community on the platform has been the #1 way Moses has built up to a (still modest) following of 15,000(ish.)
- Showcase your dog's personality. I agree you may have boxed yourself in a bit too much with the pup + recipe. Moses's best posts are the ones that show him being goofy in different places. The quality + quantity of the content has declined (I rarely edit and these days barely have time to post 1x/week if I'm lucky), but if it's Moses being a goober at the park or Moses upside down on the couch, it doesn't matter if it's low quality, it will get engagement just because people know and love his personality.
- Check out the most popular corgi and dog Instagrams to see what hashtags they're using. I post pretty much the same hashtags for Moses every time (although I put them in a comment so you can't see it as part of my status copy) with the except of 3-4 that are specific to that post. The rest are a mix of medium to highly popular dog hashtags that can boost in discoverability.
Hope that helps!
13
If you want to see how it's done, follow "Handsome Dan," Yale's mascot.
As a former herding dog breeder and lifelong dog lover, I cringed at the thought of your dog eating things that weren’t good for him. The combo of fine cooking (I’m a fan) and your dog just wasn’t a good mix.
70
Apparently the old cliche is true- there is no accounting for taste. Max is a fabulous dog. It's a very tough world out there, for canines and humans alike.
7
Brian, we happily shared all of the dark meat from the T-day turkey with our dog. Be warned... every 2 hrs we were on emergency trips to find a patch of grass or fallen leaves, day and night for nearly a week. That dark meat is a bit too rich for a dog, except in small amounts, though he still enjoys chicken legs and poached chicken thighs. Unlikely that there will be a Christmas goose this year.
16
Dear Brian, I took a look to your Instagram account and I think that the problem is the scenario. Mos of your pictures looks and feels the same. You should change the scenario, otherwise the every picture you post is a "déjà vu".
26
@Juan Manuel Yes, I just looked as well. The dog isn't interacting with the food. The food and the dog are mostly separate. The dog is looking at the owner taking the photo, and the food is just sitting there. In almost every photo. Static and boring, unfortunately!
27
If this article on the NY Times doesn't make Max popular bringing a flood of followers @cookingwithfatmax, I don't know what else will do the trick! Good luck!
14
Brian,
Please do not feed your dog thanksgiving turkey or anything except a high quality dog food. You will make him sick and speed an early demise. His system is not made for people food, as well as salt, sugar, additives, and all the rest. He may seem fine now, but wait til his kidneys fail. He deserves more than to be an extension of your ego.
76
@Marilyn Humans aren't for that kind of people food either
2
@Marilyn I make homemade dog food using turkey, fresh carrots and potatoes. The exact ingredients in dog food but I'm sure it's healthier than the dog food. You do you.
14
@Marilyn
Dogs evolved eating the scraps that humans threw them, mostly bones, organs, and other undesirable or leftover food. "Dog food" didn't even exist before the last century.
Though you can, of course, easily train the digestive system of either a dog or a human to be overly sensitive and intolerant by feeding only one type of food.
22
Maybe it was just too similar to Japanese author Natsuko Kuwahara's photography/cookbook , "Bread and a Dog".
My honest opinion? Your dog isn't *that* cute. And mixing dogs with fancy food isn't really appealing. Also, it all seems staged. Perhaps instagram is professionalized, but you also need a great idea, and I don't think this is it.
59
@Maria, respectfully, I disagree.
I have had many breeds of dogs, both my own and via fostering for rescues. Never a corgi.
Max is adorable.
4
The ironic twist in all of this is that Max will gain lots of followers from people reading this NYT article. I know I just followed your dog, he's adorable!
9
feedback from a marketing team. A team of marketers. Forget 'em. They'll just drive you nuts and they're wrong far more than the rest of us.
I think the concept is just a slow-growth one, but you shouldn't care. You love your dog, he loves you, and you all eat good.
Kinda makes one jealous. Maybe that's the problem!
4
My corgis have 45 followers, and I'm pretty happy with that. It's fun that they have fans on the other side of the world. Maybe you need more realistic expectations.
28
@Mark Poirier Could you provide your corgi's account so I can be his 46th follower?
1